Beetee opened his eyes slowly. He found himself laying on a narrow bed with white sheets. His first few weeks in the hospital were a blur of waking from nightmares and attempting to communicate through the haze of consciousness induced by heavy painkillers. At his insistence, the doctors withdrew much of the pain medicine. Body racked with pain, Beetee forced himself to roll over as he heard a small hum next to him. As he settled himself onto his side, he fixed his eyes on the most beautiful sight. Dark large eyes gazed into his face. "Wiress, honey, we're here. District Thirteen." He whispered as he ran his fingers through his wife's long hair.
"Bee – Tee." A hoarse whisper replied. Gazing down at Wiress, Beetee examined the scar running along Wiress' neck. Finnick had pulled her from the water before he and Katniss stitched Wiress' wound. Even though Wiress was alive, she was barely conscious for the rest of the Quell. Beetee, Finnick, and Peeta took turns carrying her through the arena. However, when they scattered to carry out the plan, Peeta lay Wiress next to Beetee so he could see her picked up by the hovercraft. Closing his eyes, Beetee recalled the prong coming down from the hovercraft.
Groaning, Beetee positioned Wiress so she was on top of him. He used his aching legs to position Wiress' legs so the prongs would grab her around the middle. "Beetee! We have her!" Plutarch called frantically from the hovercraft. Beetee gasped as he felt the claw pick both of them up. He unwound his limbs from his wife only when medics began loading them onto stretchers.
"Safe." Wiress whispered again.
"Yes. Rest your voice, hon." Beetee whispered.
"Safe –" Wiress looked around the hospital room. She and Beetee were in one hospital bed in a white tiled room with three other beds. One bed held a young man's sleeping form, and two techs were by another one where someone flailed around yelling.
"PEETA! PEETA!" Wiress buried her face into Beetee's nightshirt at the sound of Katniss' cries.
"We – too slow –" Wiress whispered sadly.
"We couldn't get to Peeta and Johanna." Beetee explained.
"I – should have – left me – behind." Shaking his head furiously, Beetee placed a finger over her lips.
"No." He said firmly. "No. We came up in one prong. They're designed to hold over 350 pounds. We weren't too much for them. The Capitol was just too fast." Nodding, Wiress sat up. "Hon?" Beetee asked as he felt his wife pull the covers away from his legs.
"Beetee –" Wiress gasped in a strangled cry. She stared at the plastic and metal braces on her husband's legs. His knees and ankles were wrapped with fresh surgical dressings.
"My legs took a beating. But I can stand for short periods." Beetee explained. "I will heal, albiet slowly. Wiress, honey, lay back down. You need rest too." Nodding, Wiress lay next to her husband.
"Brave –" She whispered as tears ran down her face. Beetee wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead. "Strong – be – strong –"
"I will be. Knowing you made it out of the arena by my side, I will be strong." Beetee insisted before they fell asleep again.
"Now turn right, hon." Beetee directed as Wiress pushed his wheelchair down the halls to Command. Once Beetee was able to move from his bed to a wheelchair, he requested daytime leave from the hospital to assist with the revolution. After three days of Wiress moping around the Victors' unit experiencing flashbacks every time Katniss cried, the doctors were at a loss as how to therapeutically occupy her time. After she fixed a monitor and IV pump Katniss had knocked over during one of her fits, the doctors allowed her to accompany Beetee to help in Special Weapons.
"Sorry, sir, the hospital is the other direction." A soldier said at the doors.
"I'm Beetee Tesla and this is my wife Wiress Tesla. We are here to meet Plutarch Heavnsbee." The soldier blinked and stared at the slight man in the wheelchair, and the large-eyed frail looking woman pushing him.
"Well, you have to get through the metal detector." The soldier said doubtfully.
"He can walk." Wiress insisted as strongly as her hoarse voice would allow her. Taking her husband's arm, she helped him stand. Together, they walked through the metal detector before they shut it off to maneuver the chair through. "They didn't know who you were –" Wiress fumed as Beetee eased himself into his chair before they were escorted to Special Weapons.
"Don't strain your voice, dear." Beetee reminded his wife before receiving a light reprimanding smack on the shoulder. "I can't deny that I like seeing the fight in my girl." He smiled as his wife giggled and nuzzled her face into his hair. "I tried to tell Dr. Aurelius that your place was inventing, but he wouldn't have a word of it until you fixed Katniss' machines." A nod.
"Beetee – and Wiress!" Plutarch gasped as a smile broke out on his face. "Come in, come in! We're just filming our first propo!"
"Already?" Beetee asked surprised.
"The Mockingjay requested transport to the remains of District Twelve." President Coin responded.
"Remains of District Twelve?" Beetee asked puzzled as a large flat screen monitor flickered to life in the conference where the rebel leaders were seated around a table.
"They firebombed it." Plutarch explained. "Gale Hawethorne and some other mine workers were able to break through the fence and bring some survivors to District Thirteen."
"Yes, I saw Gale with Katniss –" Wiress began.
"Come again?" President Coin asked the slight woman sitting next to Beetee.
"Mrs. Wiress Tesla's vocal chords were injured during the Quell, madam president." Plutarch Heavensbee explained. "That's as loud as she can speak.
"What did she say?" President Coin asked Beetee.
"Gale was in the hospital visiting Katniss." Beetee replied as they watched the raw footage streaming from the two camera men accompanying Katniss and Gale. "So, they're on the ground in District Twelve, I suppose. Former District Twelve."
"Oh no –" Wiress gasped as the cameras zoomed in on the burnt body of a little girl.
"Close your eyes if you need to, hon." Beetee whispered before shooting President Coin an irritated glance as she rolled her eyes at Wiress' whimpering.
"Is she able to help with the rebellion if she can't handle this?" Coin asked.
"Who?" Plutarch asked looking at the TV screen at Katniss' tearstained face and Wiress' pale face as she closed her eyes and clung to Beetee's hands.
"Both victors. I need them to be useful." President Coin snapped before gulping at the determined fierce glare from a pair of large eyes.
"I lost – my children – Katniss lost – home." Wiress said as loud as her voice could carry. She stood up and faced President Coin. "Madame President, we use that sadness – to fight." Humming, she looked at the TV and noticed some weak spots in the mounting mechanism. "The screen isn't supported on that side –"
"Very well." President Coin said slowly. "Mrs. Tesla, you will be assigned with your husband in Special Weapons. You can help with the backlog of repairs for some equipment to get a sense of the resources we use to develop weapons." Beaming, Wiress nodded and sat down taking Beetee's hand in hers. "Mr. Tesla, you will receive training in our computer systems used throughout the District and in our defense systems." Exchanging glances, the Teslas smiled knowing they could fight with their minds to make inventions that would bring down the Capitol once and for all.
Unlike Suzanne Collins, I can't bring myself to kill off one member of Team Nerds. :) We're in Mockingjay and like the rest of the trilogy, it will be told from the epic and awesome Beeress point of view :)